


14 Going On 40

by agentsimmons



Series: This Time I Want It All [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Crack Treated Seriously, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Inspired by a Movie, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Teen Angst, Teenage Rebellion, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, well it's more like no powers then powers then no powers again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-17 10:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4663374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentsimmons/pseuds/agentsimmons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 1985 Tony makes a wish on a coin Bruce gives him for his birthday which changes his reality and causes him to wake up in 2010. </p><p>So, yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: a Bruce/Tony fusion of The Avengers and 13 Going On 30 (for obvious reasons).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This diverges greatly from MCU canon in order to work with the 13 Going On 30 concept and the verse I wanted to create inspired by that concept. A few preliminary things about the timeline I'm using for events or things I'm changing:  
> \- Iron Man still takes place in 2008 rather than the updated timeline of 2010  
> \- Fury's Big Week (the events of Iron Man 2, Thor and Steve's awakening) takes place in 2009  
> \- The Avengers, as in the movie canon, doesn't really happen the same in this. But the Initiative still exists and some plot details/callbacks are implemented.  
> \- Thor can already come and go between Asgard and Midgard again and the Thor stinger with Selvig and Loki is ignored.  
> \- Bruce and Hulk will be pretty much all changed up and fused from the various incarnations so yeah.  
> \- I'm using the May 29, 1970 dob for Tony and the December 18, 1969 dob for Bruce in this. (But can somebody please tell me why their MCU birth dates are different all over the web? Is it because of Mark stepping in? Because my verses are starting to get crossed or something -_-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for Tony being a teenage brat and using offensive language like 'sluts' and such.

Being 14 is hard for everyone.

At least, that's what Jarvis tells him. Tony mostly just rolls his eyes because Jarvis was 14 in, what, the 20s? 30s? How is that at all comparable to be 14 in 1985? And he grew up in England which is a far cry from New York. And that's not even including the elephant in the room. The big, damn elephant being the Stark dynasty, which he is sole heir to. Yeah, Edwin Jarvis at 14, or anyone else at 14, is not the same as being Anthony Edward Stark at 14. (At least his dad had the decency not to name him Howard Anthony Walter Stark II, because no; then again that would mean Howard thought him deserving of such an honor in the first place.)

Being 14 and being Tony Stark means he's still got a nanny, which is weird considering he's going to be allowed to go off on his own to MIT in the fall. Being 14 and Tony Stark means he attends a boarding school in New York, for another week and a half at least since he's about to graduate – yes, graduate. Being 14 and Tony Stark means having the clarity of mind to know that if you didn't bother coming home every few weekends your father really wouldn't notice because, hell, he's rarely there anyway when you do. Being 14 and Tony Stark means having the clarity of mind to know that there is an entire weapons manufacturing empire resting on his shoulders and everyone just expects him to toe some strange line between being America's favorite son and America's favorite bad boy. He's not quite there with that second one yet, but he plans to make his best effort of it once he has more freedom at college.

But being 14 also means the end of one world.

Turning 15 will be the start of another.

At 15 he will be a high school graduate. At 15 he will be a college freshman. At 15 he will have more responsibility, being more or less on his own to make choices and face consequences and paparazzi and all that fun stuff that, for what it's worth, Howard has thus far kept to a calculated minimum (as in, when it suits him and when it makes him and the company look good). At 15 he won't have a nanny. At 15 he won't have anything except the expectation to graduate at the top of his class and slowly move up the ranks of his father's company until such time he's deemed ready to take over as CEO – if his father will ever truly deem his ready, or better said worthy.

But he's still 14 for another 22 hours and 43 minutes and at 14 he really just sort of wishes he could wake up on the other side of whatever age all of this nonsensical scam of a happy life he's supposed to be living ends so he can just be his own person without all of this deadweight that he feels.

~

"Being 15 isn't so bad," Bruce Banner says to him with a shrug as they walk along the Long Island shore line.

Tony just snorts as he looks over at his friend. The ocean breeze is killer on the scrawny boy's dark, mop of waves and curls since he won't listen to him and use product. Granted, it would probably take a lot of product and a good amount of hairspray, but Tony thinks that would just make him look a lot cooler. Seriously, all the girls (and guys, since it's 1985 and Tony doesn't judge even if he's not about to advertise the fact that America's favorite son is into both; that seems more like a America's favorite bad boy thing) would start paying attention if only Bruce would try a little bit harder. Then again, Bruce is a ball of teenage angst, that's more along the lines of barely controlled rage, and wouldn't even be at the boarding school if his aunt and uncle, the Drakes, didn't have enough money to cover the additional cost not covered by the smart teen's scholarship; so getting him to also care about his looks a little bit more than the bare minimum is a losing battle.

"Yeah, well, you would say that. You've been 15 for 6 months and, what? It's exactly the same as 14 right?" Tony asks. Bruce just messes with his hair again and shrugs. "Me, I won't even be 15 for 6 months before my ass is headed off to Cambridge."

He doesn't miss the way Bruce deflates, but remains silent. They don't really talk about it because that would mean, well, talking about things. It would mean admitting their little odd ball friendship that just sort of happened actually means a hell of a lot to the both of them. And, it does. Tony isn't looking forward to leaving Bruce behind any more than he knows Bruce is dreading saying goodbye to his only friend. Still, they won't talk about it even though he thinks Bruce maybe wants to sometimes.

"So, how big is your party gonna be?" Bruce asks after a moment of silence. The silence is always companionable with them even when there are things hanging in the air.

He knows Bruce won't like his answer. "Well, since 16 won't really be a big deal with the family," he rolls his eyes at the word, "and since it's also kind of like a combination end of year party, pretty big."

"Figured as much," Bruce answers drily, but Tony doesn't miss his exasperation.

Bruce isn't one for big parties, since he's not popular, and especially not parties where there might be an excess of alcohol which there almost always is when Howard lets Tony go all out – again, he's working towards that bad boy status that will make him an unforgettable face and name (worked for his father, apparently). Still, a part of Tony doesn't really like the idea of making Bruce uncomfortable; he won't give into it, but he doesn't like it.

"That's why the party's tomorrow. We can just have a small one tonight. You, me, the bots, Jarvis. And definitely no alcohol," he adds, not missing the appreciative smile that Bruce offers him. It's a little weird maybe, but Tony thinks he's going to miss that smile a lot when he leaves in a few months. He can remember clearly the sad, little, bullied boy from a few years back that really never smiled; it's maybe egotistic, but Tony knows his friendship has a lot to do with it.

"I'll give you your present tonight then, if that's okay?" Bruce asks next when they stop walking. "It's kind of goofy anyway. Probably best not to—"

"I'm sure it's fine," Tony interrupts him before he can get started on one of his, 'nothing I ever do is good enough' speeches. Tony's in no mood for that.

~

The fact of the matter is Tony is the one who is never going to be good enough.

Howard makes that abundantly clear when he waltzes in from dinner with a visiting general, bringing the general with him for a late night cap, and is thrown off by the sight of him and Bruce sprawled out on the large couch. Each are on the opposite side so it's not like it's even a big deal that Bruce's feet and shins are tucked comfortably against the couch by his own. And they're just watching MTV and tossing popcorn and Crackerjacks back and forth while singing along to Thriller. The only thing that could have possibly made the innocent scene somehow more scandalous would be if Bruce had given into Tony's attempts to teach him the dance for the millionth time (the awkward boy has almost got it down, almost).

The boys are forced to scramble into a more proper sitting position for entertaining guests that Tony had no warning of – and Jarvis would have warned him so this was a last minute schmooze on Howard's account, clearly – and then give off some semblance of caring as the preliminary drink and chit chat and introductions are offered. Apparently the man is a General Ross and Tony gathers that his father is trying to score yet another contract to be this man's sole provider of weapons; although the general also seems keen on a few experimental bomb programs, but Tony knows by now that these types only mention these things to scare manufacturers into coming down in cost in order to secure the contract.

After about twenty awkward minutes is when Howard finally gets that look in his eyes. Tony knows it well. He's had a few drinks and he's going to have to give Tony a piece of his mind before his loosening lips say something in public that'll damage his reputation, not that General Ross strikes Tony as a man who would care. In fact, there's something about him that tells Tony he'd maybe encourage a little bit of beating 'rebellion' out of a boy. The thought makes him sick because Bruce is a respectable distance away from him and probably picking up on the same vibe; he has a pretty good sense of these things now so Tony can only imagine how hard he must be trying not to make a scene. And it's worse because Howard's on the cusp of feigning a need to handle business and asking Tony coyly for his help ("I'm teaching him the business while he's still young," he'll say) and then Bruce will be left alone with the general.

Which is, of course, exactly what happens.

"You're 15, Anthony," Howard berates him. Technically, he won't be 15 until exactly 11:12 p.m., but Tony picks his battles; nobody else cares about his somewhat-manic attention to details like that. "You should know by now how to behave when important guests are expected."

"That's bullshit and you know it," Tony clips back. "You wouldn't have even brought that pompous idiot here if you'd remembered I was coming home today instead of tomorrow. Especially if you remembered saying it was okay for Bruce to spend the night. How the hell was I supposed to know you were bringing somebody home?"

"Fine, you want to pin this on me," Howard bulldozes on with more venom now that Tony has challenged him and Tony braces himself for whatever piss poor way Howard will twist and spin the web again until Tony's once more at fault. "I'm not the one who's acting like he's a little boy. It doesn't matter you weren't expecting the general; it's the fact that you let yourself be found in a compromising position in the first place. If it was a girl, well, boys will be boys. But people talk, Tony."

Tony snorts derisively. "Oh, yeah. You should know that. Still mad you couldn't get a piece of Captain America before he gave up his precious, patriotic soul for this nation you love just oh-so-much?" He knows that once he brings up Steve Rogers, all bets are off and Howard's next round will likely be worse. He doesn't really know if his father was over the moon for the national legend, but he has enough suspicion to use it as a firing point. Besides, he knows damn well that his father slept with enough soldiers when there weren't any chorus girls, nurses or actresses around; so he has no right being homophobic just because the military and his trustees are. "Got to take it out on me, hmm? You act like me and Bruce were making out. Hell, we weren't even playing footsie. We're just friends and you know that."

He watches as Howard clinches his fist. Sometimes he isn't sure if he's grateful Howard never hits him the way Bruce's father used to beat him. Sometimes he wants it to happen maybe just so he can hit back.

"This isn't about Captain Rogers or any other delusions you have about me, Anthony. This is about boys of a certain age needing to act like it. A little booze, a little philandering with women, the world is okay with that because you're a man. That's what boys and men of a certain age do. I don't mind if you hang out with Bruce, but you and that boy have been joined at the hip for three years now. It's bad enough his history is what it is, but do you even have any girlfriends at that school of yours? Or other guy friends?"

Tony would respond to both of those questions; he would reassure his dad that, sure he's got plenty of guy friends (and admirers if he were really being insolent) who just like him because of his money and that he's already fucked enough of the school's offering of sluts to have a good start on that bad boy reputation. He would, but he's too busy seeing red over the issue that his dad doesn't think Bruce is good enough. He's probably glad Tony is going to MIT in the fall. Hell, maybe that's why he encouraged his early graduation. Maybe this whole damn time he's been afraid of his being close to Bruce and really all Tony can say to that is fuck you. So he does and storms out before Howard can have the benefit of having his son waste more breath on him.

~

Tony paces back and forth in his workshop. He knows throwing a tantrum is ridiculous. Nothing he can ever do or say will get through to Howard and at the end of the day how many kids have the benefit of even having their own workshop or ability to go to MIT at 15? He looks over and sees Bruce standing in the doorway, watching him without judgment and that just goes to prove his point because Bruce is almost as smart as he is and certainly more disciplined, but he can't just off to Harvard at 15 without the guarantee of a full scholarship.

"Poor little fucking rich boy," he grumbles at himself and then throws another tool just to throw it. He doesn't miss the way Bruce flinches and immediately hates himself more, but he takes a deep breath just the same. "You shouldn't be here right now," he says it with genuine concern. Bruce has a therapist and steps to follow and rules to implement. Actively putting himself in situations like this is one of the things he shouldn't do.

"You're probably right," Bruce responds, his voice seems to be on the verge of going through another octave change (Tony briefly wonders what that will sound like when it happens) and cracks a little, but he moves further into the room defiantly and Tony just now realizes he has his book bag with him.

"My dad is such an asshole. He seriously thinks—"

"I know what he thinks, Tony," Bruce cuts him off shortly. "That General Ross seemed to have the same impression. Asked me straight out if I was your boyfriend. With a sneer and a few additional words of course," he adds as an afterthought.

"Of course," Tony mumbles. "You should have just given him a heart attack and said yes for humor."

Bruce glares at him for a moment, lips pulled tight and forehead creased before he sighs. "Not my idea of humor, I guess. Besides, I'm pretty sure your dad barely tolerates me as it is. If I did something like that, well…" He shrugs and moves to open his book bag.

Tony doesn't respond to that because now he knows how true it is. He wonders why he didn't suspect it before. Clearly Bruce had been aware. All at once the anger that had started to dissipate against Howard is stoked again and he clenches his fists. "I swear I'm going to give dear old dad what he wants in spades when I get to college. He wants me to get drunk and fuck around with girls, fine. I'll show him. I'll fuck every woman on campus if I have to and then a few men just so I can leak the photos myself. He'll get what's coming to him."

He only notices after his declaration that Bruce is crouched over his open bag and very obviously going through his anger management steps. He almost feels bad, but he's pretty angry right now so it doesn't quite register. Besides, his already flimsy honor isn't really Bruce's business.

"Yeah, that'll show him alright," Bruce mutters. "You realize you'll only make yourself miserable that way, yeah?" He asks then as he goes back to digging through his bag.

"Oh, I don't know. Sounds like a pretty good way to live. No rules. No responsibilities. No morals. You know what they say about it being better to live hard and die young." He shrugs nonchalantly because, right now, yeah it sounds like a pretty good alternative to sitting around this place. He likes sex. He likes alcohol. Why not just go all out and enjoy it without remorse?

"Whatever," Bruce says with a shrug, but Tony still hears the disapproval there. As if _he's_ some kind of saint, Tony thinks and rolls his eyes before he sees the gifts in Bruce's hands. "Happy Birthday, Hugh Hefner," he says, tone sardonic.

Tony takes the first gift and unwraps a first edition of Asimov's _I, Robot_. For a moment he regrets that he doesn't take his best friend's concerns more to heart. He knows Bruce just cares about him and doesn't want to see him throw his life away, but he also knows that Bruce just doesn't get it. He has his own issues, sure, but he'll never understand this. They'll always be different in this way.

"Thanks," he says as his anger starts to cool again. He fondles the book reverently, opening the cover like it might fall apart. He won't ask Bruce where he got it because he knows it'll just embarrass him. He already has a copy of every book in Asimov's _Robot_ series, including the newest addition, but not a first edition and not one Bruce gave him so this is clearly the superior copy and the other can be tossed out – or donated or whatever.

Bruce looks at his watch. "Hey, so this next gift is really goofy, but I figure since your birthday technically begins at 11:12 and since you're not really looking forward to 15 and all that, maybe you'd want to make a wish at 11:11 or…" he turns sheepish, "…something."

"11:11? Really?" Tony looks at him with amused skepticism, anger finally forgotten. "What, are we 12 year old girls?"

"Haha," Bruce replies drily. "I found this coin at this antique shop my aunt dragged me to over spring break." Tony holds out his hand and Bruce drops the coin from the brown paper bag into his possession. He studies it carefully. History has never been his area of expertise, but he thinks one of the symbols on it is Norse. "The man said anyone in possession of it can make a single wish. I don't know, the guy seemed a little shady and weird. I didn't believe him, but then I got the strangest feeling like I should give it to you for your birthday."

Tony studies the coin a little more, tilting his head as he flips it around in his fingers. He feels strangely drawn to the idea as well, but then he looks at Bruce and for a moment wonders what he could possibly wish for that doesn't make him selfish or just plain ridiculous. It's not like he can really wish to skip ahead in his life and have everything he wants. For a moment, he's not even sure what he really wants in spite of his previous confidence.

"I already have everything. Maybe you should use it," he offers. If it's really magical – and ha! like he believes in magic – then Bruce is the one who needs it.

"No, I'm good," Bruce says with a soft smile, and at 11:10 on May 29, 1985 Tony feels a flutter in his stomach and suddenly wonders if his father is on to something, but that's a dangerous thought so he pushes it out as quickly as it forms and deflects his attention to the coin.

He looks at his own watch and when 11:11 strikes he closes his eyes and makes his wish. And because he's still 14, he still wishes he could wake up on the other side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is 75% finished, but I can't say when I'll post the next chapter for those who don't like WIP. I just really didn't want this to get deleted from my drafts tonight so I posted it anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I definitely plan on focusing on this work over the next week since I've gotten some lovely comments and don't want to abandon this. Some chapters will take more cues and lifts from the film than others just because flawless script is flawless (and I didn't set out to make this simply inspired by) - this chapter is one of those chapters as is the next.
> 
> -In this au Rhodey was a friend via military association before MIT.

Tony opens his eyes and immediately his brow creases. Not only is he not in his basement workshop with Bruce, he's lying horizontally in a strange room he's never seen before.

_Good morning, sir. The time is 9:43 a.m. The weather in Manhattan is 68 degrees with scattered clouds and a 15 percent chance of rain._

Tony jumps upright at the sound. He looks around in wide eyed confusion, trying to take in his settings. He's in a large bedroom with furniture that doesn't look at all like he's seen before and there's nobody in there with him so he's not sure who had been speaking. The voice had sounded robotic, but there was something about it that reminded him of Jarvis.

Not sure what to think, he brings his hand to scrub at his face only to freeze. His hand remains stilled on his chin for a moment, his eyes all the wider, until he finds the courage to tentatively explore the unexpected facial hair. He knows about puberty of course and he remembers Bruce complaining about how his own facial hair was starting to grow in faster, but this seems a little ridiculous. He'd only had three measly hairs on his chin when he woke up this morning, or yesterday? And, wait… He's in Manhattan?

"Tony! Tony, are you ready yet? Your meeting is in less than an hour." Tony jumps again at the distant female voice that he's certain doesn't belong to his mother. And what meeting?

He finally jumps out of the strange bed and looks around until he sees what looks like maybe an en suite and hurries towards it. Maybe he can at least figure out if somebody's glued something to his face. This has to be an elaborate trick. Or he's dreaming. Maybe he's dreaming.

"Ow! Son of a—" He stubs his toe as he rounds the bed too quickly and it hurts enough to rule out that he's dreaming, but he pauses again momentarily at the sound of his own voice. Sure, it was getting there and he had a good deal of hope regarding the final outcome, but his voice has never been this deep before. Overnight voice changes are also pretty unheard of right?

He hurries on to the en suite and immediately scans around for the mirror only to jump back at the sight that awaits him in the mirrored wall he finds. He also might have yelped or screamed, he's not sure.

"What the hell?" He says with his strange, though not entirely unpleasant, voice as he takes in his face. He looks like his father only broader and he's got a van dyke on his face and strangely spiked hair. And, oh god, wrinkles? How old…

Then his eyes fall down to his chest and his heart nearly stops. He leans in closer to the mirror and looks at the strange, blue light underneath his thin beater. He hesitates for a moment, but then as he registers the feeling of it in his own body, he quickly pulls the shirt off and stares slack jawed at the metal device embedded in his chest.

"Tony, are you okay?" That unfamiliar female voice speaks again, but this time only closer and he turns in sheer fright to see a strawberry blonde in a business suit and piercing crystal eyes looking at him in concern. "JARVIS said you seemed distressed. You… You seem distressed. What's wrong?" She reaches for him, but he backs away.

"Uh, who are you? What's going on here? Did you say Jarvis?" He asks as her words catch up to him. "Jarvis!" He shouts instinctively.

_Yes, sir?_

He jumps again and looks around. The voice, who sounds _a bit_ like Jarvis, seems to be emanating from the walls or ceiling.

"Tony…" The woman starts to say something, but he doesn't let her.

"How do you know my name!?" He shouts at her because this is beginning to get a little uncomfortable.

"Oh no. You don't remember me? Tony, are you having an attack? Where are you right now, Tony? Can you answer me?" She has her arms raised in what he guesses is an attempt to seem nonthreatening and her voice has taken on a soothing quality.

"I don't know where I am!" He barks at her. "None of this makes sense! Why do I look like… like this?" He gestures to himself. "And what the hell is this thing in my chest?"

"Tony, I need you to just calm down for a moment. I can call Dr.—"

"I don't want a doctor! Where's my dad? Where's Bruce? I'm supposed to be having a birthday party."

He watches her eyes flutter wide in confusion, but then she takes a deep breath and replies evenly. "You _need_ a doctor. Your father is no longer living. I… I don't know who Bruce is. And your birthday was yesterday. We went to Masa with Rhodey, Happy and Phil, remember?"

"What?" He furrows his brow at the names. Well, he knows a Rhodey which is the first good news since the possibility of Jarvis. He's the son of a military man his father is friends with and one of the only people he's forced to hang out with for good publicity that he actually likes. They don't see each other a lot, but he's been his best friend since before he met Bruce. He's not even sure if it's the same Rhodey, but he hopes so because at least that makes sense. "I don't remember any of that," he finally says. "What do you mean my dad's dead? He just chewed me out yesterday for acting gay!"

"Yesterday?" The woman blinks at him. "Tony, your father has been dead since '91. You're acting a little hysterical. JARVIS, call Dr. Samson."

_Yes, Ms. Potts._

Well, he has a last name now and he's never heard of any Potts before. "What do you mean '91? What are you on? This is 1984. I'm 15. 15! What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh my god, Tony. I-I can't handle this," she throws up her hands a little and backs away before turning. He isn't sure if he should follow her, but she's still muttering and she is the only one who maybe has any answers so he does. "I-I don't know if this is your PTSD or if you've decided to have a midlife crisis, but you are definitely not 15 no matter how much you act like it sometimes." Then she turns sharply and glares at him. "It's 2010 and you are 40. And now I'm going to go placate the board because you're clearly in no state to handle those wolves right now. I want you to go see Leonard, got it?"

He definitely does not have it, but she walks out before he can say as much and he sits down on the bed at an utter loss. He ransacks his last memory. His workshop. Bruce. His dad. Bruce. A general. Bruce. 11:11. Bruce. A coin. And Bruce.

He snaps his finger as the improbable theory comes to him. Did the coin really work? He has to find Bruce. Bruce will know.

~ 

Tony asks the home smart system, which is what Tony deduces this JARVIS is and guesses that it's his own AI since he'd considered creating one when he was, well, 14 – where Bruce Banner lives and it turns out he lives in the Village which is perfect. He's in Lower Manhattan. So Tony dresses in what he can only assume is one of his outfits, opting for jeans and a Black Sabbath t-shirt rather than the millions of suits and dress clothes in his closet; at least he has some normal, comfortable clothes, he muses.

Then with the AI's help, he finds his wallet and also his phone, which he spends the entire cab ride to the address JARVIS gave him marveling over and playing around with to see how it works. Apparently he designed it.

When he reaches the spot, he finds Bruce's name and buzzes him, hoping he's in. He's nearly startled to death when a tinny version of a voice that he knows is Bruce's, only deeper, comes over the intercom.

"Yeah?"

"Bruce Banner? This is—"

"Yeah, if you're here from Curry Kitchen, ring twice. If not, I'm not really available right now."

He furrows his brow at that, but he's never been subtle or shy so he rings twice and goes up anyhow. When he finds Bruce's floor and apartment number, he takes a breath and knocks. He hears the sound of a chain lock being unfastened and then before he has time to brace himself, the door opens slightly and he's confronted by forty year old Bruce Banner. He knows it's him, but he looks so different and so…

Bruce's eyes widen too, he notices, before twisting his head and deadpanning, "You're not Indian."

"And you're not… You're… Wow, you're different." Puberty clearly was kind to Bruce. He's glad for that. Bruce deserves it.

"Yeah," Bruce says with a nod, but doesn't move to open the door. He suddenly remembers Ms. Potts saying she doesn't know Bruce which doesn't make sense because anyone who knows Tony has to know Bruce and she clearly knows Rhodey. Does Bruce know him? Is this a completely alternate universe altogether?

"You don't know me?"

"No, I know who you are, Tony," Bruce answers and he feels a rush of relief.

"Yes!" He cheers instinctively.

"Tony Stark," he reiterates.

"Yes, Bruce, it's me!"

Bruce purses his lips and nods. "Kind of hard not to know who you are."

"Can I come in?" He just cuts to the chase because he really needs to see more than just his face. He needs to talk to his friend and get to the bottom of things.

"Uh, yeah, sure." He's not sure why Bruce hesitated, but he's let in just the same.

He walks in and takes a look around the humble apartment. It's nothing like his massive penthouse, but it's charming and somehow suits the Bruce he's always known. He at least looks like he's done well enough in his life in spite of his childhood trauma. He turns to see Bruce staring at him in confusion and now he has a chance to take him in fully. His clothes are baggy. He's wearing khaki pants with a purple button up shirt, the first few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. His glasses fit his face better now and his hair is still a mop of dark waves and curls, but a little more stylish now (maybe the 80s hadn't been a good time for hair after all?). Oh, and he's definitely not as scrawny. In fact, he can tell even beyond the baggy clothes that he's the right kind of lean and, hell, somehow he's managed to get a hint of a tan which is a far cry from the pale kid he was before.

"So, hi, Tony," Bruce starts awkwardly, and Tony realizes he might have been gaping. "Hey, uh, what are you…? Why are you here?"

Tony collects himself at the question. "Brucey, something really weird is happening." Bruce blinks as if taken aback, but he pushes forward. "Yesterday was my 15th birthday and then…" Bruce blinks again. "And then today I woke up and I'm this. And you…" God, he looks good. Honestly, Tony thinks if he'd known this was the future, he'd have said the hell with his father's concerns and kept Bruce for himself. "I mean, you're _that_ ," he gestures as he looks him over unabashedly. "You get it?"

For a moment Bruce just stands there looking a little like a confused fish. It's slightly adorable. So he's both hot _and_ adorable now. Well, he'd always been kind of adorable, but now he's both and that seems a little unfair; not that Bruce doesn't deserve to be the complete package or anything.

"Uh... Are you medicated right now? Is that what this is? Did- Is it the reactor? Or the suit? Did you crash? Do I need to call Phil? I... You're not doing drugs again are you? Are you drunk?"

It's Tony's turn to look like a confused fish, hopefully also adorable, as he listens to Bruce's series of questions. "What? No! I... I was in my basement workshop and then suddenly I... I'm here and there's this thing in my chest that sort of looks like a miniaturized arc reactor and I have no idea how it got there or... It's like I skipped everything. I don't remember my life!"

"So amnesia?" Bruce asks uncertainly.

"Maybe?" That's a frightening concept he hadn't considered. "I just know the last thing I remember is you and that coin you gave me. I'm freaking out here, Bruce. You need to help me remember my life." He flaps his hand a little manically.

"I... I don't think I'm the right person to do that."

"Why not?" Who else could there be?

"Well, I know the basics from the articles and... uh, other things. But we're not friends, Tony." Tony feels like he's been punched in the gut by that statement. "I'm sorry if that's a shock to you under the circumstances, but we haven't been friends since high school."

"What? No, that's... That can't be true."

Bruce just shrugs and before Tony can say more his phone goes off. He answers it and to his surprise it's a video phone. It's Ms. Potts again and she looks terrifyingly irate.

"Tony Stark, _where are you_? And don't you dare say with Leonard because Dr. Samson is right here with me."

"It's fine. I'm with Bruce," he answers breezily.

"Who the hell is Bruce?" She clips back.

"See, we're not friends," Bruce mumbles. But Tony can't accept that. It doesn't compute at all.

"He's my best friend," he says defiantly and hears Bruce's familiar exasperated sigh; it almost sounds like music even if it is aimed at him.

"What? _Rhodey_ is your best friend." Then he sees her eyes widen. "Oh my god, Tony, are you _cheating_ on me? Is that... Is that who this Bruce is?"

"What?" Tony balks at that, but there's a small lurch in his chest. "No, I'm not… Wait, you're my girlfriend? Seriously?"

"Unbelievable," she mutters.

"Tony," Bruce interrupts with his calm tenor. "You should probably tell her you're on your way back before you bury yourself any deeper."

That's probably a good idea. This is going nowhere and if she _is_ his girlfriend it's probably not smart to fight with her when he can't even remember her. So he nods. "Hey, I'm on my way back. I'll bring Bruce and you can meet him." Then he hangs up before she can protest because no matter his age, it still seems like a good way to deflect.

"Yeah okay," Bruce says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I guess you're really not in any condition to go back by yourself."

~ 

The cab pulls up in front of the tower he'd left earlier that day. Stark Tower apparently as this time he sees the name on the side. It also seems to be in the midst of reconstruction. When he and Bruce get out, Pepper is already standing on the sidewalk tapping her foot and there's a man hovering a little ways behind him and he guesses it must be Dr. Samson.

"What were you thinking?" She demands, a little like a lioness coming in for the kill before he has a chance to get away.

"I'm fine, Pepper. I had to go see Bruce." It's the truth after all.

She narrows her eyes. "Oh, so you remember my name now?"

"Actually, he asked me in the cab," Bruce answers honestly. "I'm Bruce, by the way."

Pepper turns and looks at him like he's a phantom. "You—You're Dr. Banner," Pepper says to him and Tony blinks. His best friend is a doctor? Not a scientist? And Pepper knows him already?

"And you're the famous Pepper Potts," Bruce responds with a lopsided smile – it's charming – and extends his hand. "No offense to Tony, but you're a much better CEO than he ever was." Wait, what? Tony blinks again, and at this rate he's probably going to turn into an owl. He's not the CEO of his own company?

"Thank you," Pepper replies, but continues to look confused. She this fixes Tony with a gaze. "Tony, you never said you already know Dr. Banner."

Tony balks at that. "I didn't? I've known him forever."

"Oh god," she looks suddenly horrified. "I… This is so awkward. We made the weapons that… Oh my god, _Tony_."

He notices that Bruce looks uncomfortable for a moment, and he feels like he should probably be uncomfortable too, but then Bruce eases into a shrug. "It's okay. General Ross…" And Tony recognizes that name! "…didn't exactly give out any details on the subject before SHIELD stepped in. I was just a nameless beast." Nameless _beast_? What does he mean by _that_? "I sort of assumed maybe it was one of the reasons he stopped designing new weapons for Ross even before the rebrand."

"Well, it might have been and I just don't remember," Pepper offers. "Then again, Tony doesn't tell me a lot of his reasons for anything."

"I'm still really confused here, everybody," Tony finally speaks again because he sort of feels like he should be the center of attention for one thing and for another, like he said, he's really confused.

"Hey, Leonard," Bruce casually waves at the man standing a few feet behind Pepper, confirming Tony's guess. "I think Tony seems to be under the delusion that it's 1984 and he's 15. Or that it should be 1984 and he should still be 15. Not quite sure. I'm not that kind of doctor." He seems to have his same dry wit, Tony realizes. "I don't know. He seems to have forgotten pretty much everything that's happened since his 15th birthday." Bruce shrugs, eyes bugging out slightly.

"It could be a combination of shock over turning 40, you know how it is, and his PTSD," this Leonard says and Tony can't help but balk at both foreign concepts.

"Yeah, I know how it is." Bruce laughs low and it's the first time he's heard what his laugh sounds like now. It's nice. "I'd stay and try and help out, but I'm sure you've both got it covered and I have to be at the lab soon to check on something."

"Wait, what? No, Bruce, don't go. I have no idea what's going on here." Tony knows he probably sounds pathetic at this point, but Bruce is the first thing in this strange world that feels right and he doesn't want to lose that already.

Bruce offers him a reassuring smile. "I think you'll be alright, Tony. I'll call later if that helps."

He opens his mouth to protest, but Pepper speaks first. "Actually, if you're not doing anything tonight we're having an event at The Palace for his birthday, but really it's to promote our clean energy rebrand and plans for Stark Tower."

"Yeah, I've been reading about that. Working as a SHIELD scientist and all," he replies, and so he _is_ a scientist and not a medical doctor.

"Well, you're more than welcome to come," Pepper says with a smile.

"I'll consider it. No promises," Bruce responds. "It's nice to have finally met you. Phil talks about you all the time. Nice to see you again, Leonard. Bet you're glad it's not me this time, huh?" Leonard chuckles at that. Then Bruce turns to him again and holds out his hand. Tony only looks at it for about a second before deciding to hug him instead. Bruce stiffens against him in shock, but then awkwardly returns it. Frankly, Tony doesn't want to let go because he suddenly feels safe, but then Bruce is gently pushing him away. "Okay, okay. You'll be fine, Tony. It was good seeing you again."

Bruce smiles and then before Tony can say anything else, he walks away leaving him feeling lost again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much everyone for the support and encouragement on this one. I continue to try and make it as enjoyable of a read as possible. There's more 13 Going On 30 script stealing in the middle of this chapter, but how could I resist given how iconic the scene is...

Tony spends the next several hours with Dr. Samson and Pepper going over some of the details of his life with him. Dr. Samson comes to the conclusion that he doesn't think it's long term amnesia, but more likely an amnesiac episode brought on by a PTSD nightmare involving his 15th birthday. Any other day, 14 or 40, Tony thinks he'd probably believe that. It's mostly logical. It's science-based theory. But today it feels less believable than wishing on a magic coin. He doesn't understand how he could possibly just forget 25 years worth of memories when he can still very clearly remember the first 14 with little hassle. If it had been a dream he'd woken up from, it had been the realest dream he'd ever had.

"Did I act like I didn't know who I was yesterday? Or the day before that?" He asks at random at one point during the session. Pepper assures him, no, he was, for all intents and purposes, Tony. He's not sure why she says it with a mixture of humor and exasperation until later when he starts to understand what kind of manic creature he's been.

The details they give him and the questions they answer are only the ones Dr. Samson deems okay to answer – which is apparently Dr. Samson speak for no questions about Bruce Banner. He says it's something about patient confidentiality and needing to focus on Tony's health first. Whatever.

When it's all said and done, nothing actually jostles his supposed missing memories, but he learns enough to have a better understanding of the person he turned into, should this turn out not to be a dream or reversible. He learns that:

He ended up attending MIT after all and graduated when he was 19.

He made good on his promise of making the name of Tony Stark more infamous than even Howard could have ever imagined. (From a fresh, objective perspective, he's even almost ashamed of how well he made good on that promise. He gets that he's good in bed and has that ol' Stark libido, but damn. He wonders if this is what Bruce meant by "other things.")

His parents and Jarvis were killed in an accident when he was 21 at which time he was made the CEO of Stark Industries.

He apparently revolutionized the weapons industry in ways that not even Howard could have imagined he would, earning him the nickname Merchant of Death.

He was captured by a terrorist organization and apparently was saved by a fellow hostage who didn't make it out alive. (He almost wishes he could remember that man. He's sure he was probably important if he saved his life and prompted him to create a suit.)

Obadiah Stane was the one who wanted him dead. (That's a pretty hard blow and he has to stop to take it in more so than the thought of having been held hostage for three months by terrorists, since he doesn't remember that traumatic experience.)

He nearly died of palladium poisoning and decided to hand over CEO duties to his faithful assistant Pepper Potts. (Apparently they started dating after he saved New York City and was cured. So he briefly wonders just how healthy their relationship is on those grounds, but there's probably more to it than that.)

He joined SHIELD, which apparently is the rebrand of SSR that his father helped found, as a consultant. (He guesses maybe this is how Pepper knows Bruce since he'd mentioned being a SHIELD scientist. He doesn't dwell on that though because if they're really not friends even though they both work for the same government agency then it's all the sadder.)

He turned over a new leaf, stopped manufacturing weapons, and apparently he's now into clean arc reactor energy.

Oh, and he's Iron Man.

~

As Tony stands at the bar of The Palace, he realizes even if he doesn't remember how he got here he's a bona fide celebrity with money, fame, power, adoring fans, impeccable taste in suits (really he looks pretty good in these modern designer clothes) and more. He's not the angsty, poor little rich boy anymore. For better or worse, even though he's missing a lot of memories, he seems to have gotten everything he wished for. He somehow managed to skip out on all of those troubled years in between and come out on top which is seriously awesome. If he wakes up in the morning and remembers everything, that's just how it'll be. If not, he's still got a lot to work with and he's still a genius engineer who can make it work. In fact, he kind of hopes he doesn't wake up and remember it all. Some of it seems like it was pretty awful.

The only thing that still doesn't make sense is how he and Bruce ended up so far removed from each other's radar. If there's one thing he wants to remember, it's what happened between them. If there's one thing he wants to change, it's the sad divide between them now.

"This party is a disaster, Tony," Pepper interrupts his thoughts as she joins him at the bar and asks for a dry martini with three olives.

"It is?" He really has no idea what his parties are supposed to look like, but it seems fine. Although it would be better if Bruce had decided to come.

"Look, I realize you're having a weird day, but when even some of the paparazzi leave, it's a disaster. And none of the feedback from our target demo is really very positive so far."

"Who's our target demo?" He asks and she sighs dramatically as she takes her drink.

"The twenty somethings who just don't buy that you're really into this new era of clean energy," she explains, not that it's all that helpful because clean energy is such a foreign concept. He remembers the arc reactor his dad and Obi had built to placate the hippies, and clearly he knows enough about the technology to have miniaturized it into a human power source, but it's not something he really understands in terms of making it into a business or movement. He'll learn if he has to though. He's still a genius. "Most of them are saying this is still just a way to buy their loyalty."

"Well, they're not really wrong from a surface perspective," a familiar voice interrupts.

"Bruce!" Tony lights up instantly, and doesn't miss the strange look Pepper gives him right before he spins around to see Bruce standing a few feet away. He's still dressed in his purple button up, but he's changed into loose fitting jeans. "You came!" He adds.

"Uh, yeah. Curiosity I guess." He takes a few nervous glances around, looking a lot like a fish out of water which is immensely adorable. It's probably safe to assume that all fish similes involving Bruce underlines his adorable streak. It's not unlike Bruce at parties when they were younger.

"Oh," Pepper says suddenly. "I didn't even think when I asked you earlier. Is this… Is this okay with your condition?"

Tony feels his heart stop. Bruce has a condition? Is he dying? Or does she know about his general avoidance of parties and alcohol? Does she know about his anger issues? Has he ever gotten over those issues?

Bruce smiles thinly. "No, no. It's fine. Best not to make me angry of course," Bruce says with a laugh, "but I've got it under control now. Trust me, I wouldn't even be anywhere near Manhattan if I didn't. Besides," Tony sees the humor dancing in Bruce's eyes, "it's not really that packed in here."

Pepper groans. "See, Tony. Even he realizes it's a disaster."

"Well, it was, but, hey, now Bruce is here so it'll get better," he replies to that earnestly, getting another strange look from Pepper.

"Uh, you don't seem to remember much about my party skills or lack thereof," Bruce counters, also giving him a strange look.

"You did seem to have an opinion about what we're doing wrong," Pepper points out.

"Oh, that. Well, yeah, it's just… Betty and I have been into the green movement. Well, she's sort of accommodated due to my interest in it, I guess you could say."

"Irony?" Pepper asks with a tilt of her head and for some reason that Tony doesn't understand, that makes Bruce laugh. But, to be fair, he's still trying to figure out who Betty is.

"A little, yeah. Started getting into it when I was on the run and learning to control it; that sort of thing."

"Ah," Pepper intones and Tony's mind swims with questions and puzzle pieces.

"Yeah, so, my point is, you're going about this all wrong. The crowd you're trying to convince won't be convinced by mainstream Tony Stark or Iron Man, both of which are still very much linked to weapons. Tony might not make them anymore, but that's only because he's sort of become one. They'd be more convinced by just Tony. Not the last name or legacy or suit, but the person he never shows anyone."

"Except you," Tony says it upon instinct. He says it because it's one of the truest memories he has from before he woke up that morning. Bruce was always the person who he allowed to see just Tony. Bruce was the person who could talk him down after a fight with Howard. He was the person who could see him at his angriest, at his lowest, at his most vulnerable even when Tony didn't want anyone to see it.

"Maybe at one time," Bruce replies with a shrug. "I think that would be better directed to Pepper now. Or Phil. Or Colonel Rhodes."

"Wait." Pepper scrunches her nose. "Were you two…?" She gestures between them.

Bruce's eyes widen at that. "Oh, uh, no. No, we were just… We were friends. A _very_ long time ago." Tony feels his heart sink at Bruce's emphasis on how long it's been since they were friends. It just doesn't seem possible. It doesn't seem right.

Pepper sighs as if she's considering something and doesn't feel inclined to share it. Instead she returns to the subject of the disastrous party. "So, what do you suggest?"

"Well, has he even mingled with them? I mean, in an authentic way and not just the…celebrity way. Or done anything else to make this less about pushing an agenda and more about just, I don't know…" His sentence trails and he looks a little at a loss.

"Maybe if the music wasn't crap people wouldn't be running for the exits," Tony offers, but only because it's been bugging him all night.

"Tony," Pepper says his name in an admonishing way. "We've talked about this. Not everyone appreciates hair bands blasting at ear shattering levels."

"Good to know that hasn't changed," Bruce responds with a laugh. Tony doesn't say it, but he's glad to hear it as well.

"Their loss," he says nonchalantly. "But, seriously, this stuff is stiff."

"I've never heard dance music referred to as stiff before," Bruce muses and Pepper laughs softly.

"What?" Tony balks. " _This_ is dance music? No, no, no. Michael Jackson, Eurythmics, Wham! – that's dance music."

"Still stuck in the 80s I see," Bruce directs it toward Pepper with a raised eyebrow and she gives a small nod. "Look, Tony, I don't think it's the musi—"

"It's always the music," he cuts off that statement briskly. "Which way is the DJ?" He looks around and then spots the man turning records; at least that's still a thing. "Be right back, dear," he says, less because one of them is his girlfriend and more because he wants to be cheeky.

As he walks away he hears Bruce's slightly amused statement to Pepper, "Well, that felt familiar."

When he gets to the DJ, he considers his choices. A smile then spreads across his face as he recalls the end of semester party when he'd coaxed everyone into dancing to Thriller, since the video had just hit MTV and was phenomenon and Tony was nothing if not on the ball with how to keep a party fresh. He has a hard time believing something like that wouldn't work now. And he literally remembers the moves like it was yesterday so that's what he requests. The DJ gives him a look before grinning a little. He wonders if the DJ is just as tired of the crap music as he is.

He goes to stand in the middle of the room, feeling not at all self-conscious in spite of the lapse of memories. Even if he wasn't already known for being the center of attention, which according to those things he learned this afternoon he very much is, Tony would still do this without thinking twice. It's just in his nature to take the lead at a party. Standing in the middle of The Palace, ready to commandeer this lame party is another one of those things that actually feels right.

The music starts and he notices everyone sort of look at one another at the literal change of tune, but he ignores their overall responses for now and starts the dance. He hears murmuring as he does, spreading through the building and growing louder. He sees the way more and more partygoers gather around to become curious spectators, but that's not exactly what he wants. This is only good if he gets others in on the fun.

He continues dancing, but then Pepper and Bruce come into view, moving to watch him with wide-eyed confusion, maybe even a bit of secondhand embarrassment. That's when he knows exactly what to do and he gestures for them to join him. Pepper just gives him a look and Bruce emphatically shakes his head no. Of course, where Bruce is concerned, that just makes him determined to make the other man dance.

"Bruce," he urges as he gestures again, still dancing. Bruce shakes his head again, this time waving his hands at him in a 'no way, never going to happen, Tony, I don't dance, remember?' sort of way. "Bruce!"

He looks at him pointedly and whoever is controlling the spotlight seems to get the hint of who he's talking to and it shines on the glowering Dr. Banner.

"No, no, no. Take that thing away," Bruce protests so Tony decides to give up the subtle approach. He hurries over to Bruce and drags him back to the middle of the floor. "No, Tony. I don't remember the moves."

"Come on, Bruce. Stop tip-toeing and strut with me," he tells him, echoing an encouragement from when they were teens.

Maybe it's the nostalgia of the statement, but that seems to do Bruce in and he joins him, rather awkwardly as he tries to follow his lead with the steps. But shortly he seems to find his rhythm and slowly, but surely the ice seems to break and the floor begins to fill up with twenty and thirty somethings who, even he can tell, are finally enjoying themselves. The atmosphere of the entire place is different and he realizes that Pepper had been right about the party being a disaster. It was compared to this. This is pretty amazing.

Bruce is beside him. That's amazing. They're having fun like they're 14 again. That's amazing. Bruce is actually smiling and getting into it with abandon. That's amazing. Bruce is… stopping and looking him over like he's just remembered himself. That's not amazing.

"Tony… I'm sorry. I gotta go," Bruce stammers out an apology as he starts to back away.

Tony panics slightly. He just got here. They were having a great time. "What do you—"

"I'm sorry," he apologizes again and turns to leave.

"Wait, don't," Tony calls after him, but it's too late and everyone's expecting him to keep up his routine as the leader of the dance and life of the party so he falls back into line.

~

"I still can't believe you know Dr. Banner," Pepper says to him as they ride the private elevator to his penthouse. He's entertaining the question of whether she's a live-in girlfriend when her comment breaks through his thoughts.

"I'm kind of having a hard time believing that I never told you," he replies honestly as the door opens and she follows him in. So, he's placing bets that she lives with him.

She moves past him and sits down on the couch, pulling up her legs beneath her. He doesn't know if he should follow her lead. When he sees the bar, he opts for that instead. At the very least it can buy time.

"Really, Tony? Didn't you have enough at the party?" She asks with a shake of her head, but doesn't push the subject. "The whole music change though. I have to give you credit. That was absolutely inspired. Definitely got the conversation changing in our favor."

"Honestly I was just trying to have fun. I didn't really give a damn about the final outcome," Tony replies flippantly because it's mostly true. Even if she's right and he proved his genius, had nothing changed, he would have still done it.

She snorts. "Yes, well, I do care about the final outcome so I'm still willing to credit you for the win. Your ego should be happy about that. Although Dr. Banner is the one who pointed out that it was dance music which got those genius wheels turning for you. So, maybe he deserves some of the credit."

Tony smiles and ducks his head as he pours his drink, overwhelmed by the memory of how well he and Bruce had worked together. It was one of the reasons why they'd become joined at the hip in the first place. They not only kept up with each other, they challenged each other. How could they have lost that?

"He can have, mmm, 15% of the credit," he says jokingly, attempting to banish that last sad thought.

"You're starting to sound like yourself again," Pepper muses as she pulls an electronic device he hasn't seen before from her purse. It looks like the phone he has, but bigger. "So _how_ do you know Dr. Banner? Did you meet him before or after SHIELD intercepted him?"

"Well, I still can't tell you anything after my 15th birthday," he says with a sigh, coming over to sit in the armchair instead of on the couch beside her. "But he was my best friend in grade school. You know, the boarding school I attended before I went off to MIT. I met him in '81 and we pretty much were inseparable. I wish I could remember what happened."

"I'm sure it'll come back to you," she offers him a soft glance before looking back down at the device. "You probably gave him a hell of a shock though," she then says conversationally. "I can't imagine if somebody I used to know showed up on my doorstep with the delusion nothing has changed. No offense."

"None taken," he says. He's not offended, but he does feel a little uneasy. "Do you know who Betty is?" He asks after a minute of silence.

She glances up at him again and frowns disapprovingly. "I think I remember reading about Dr. Banner being engaged to General Ross' daughter. I think her name was Betty, but, Tony You can't just pop back into his life and act like everything's okay and you deserve to know personal things about him. You really need to sit down and talk with Dr. Banner if he's willing and get over whatever this is that's happening because you're going to make the man uncomfortable otherwise. And we both know that's not a good idea."

"It's not?"

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Oh no. Don't…" Her head falls back on her shoulders and she groans. "You've got to be kidding me," she mutters before raising her head back up to look at him again. "Fury called you in for a consultation meeting on Monday and you don't even remember anything about the people who work there do you?"

"Well, Bruce works there right? He's a SHIELD scientist? What is that exactly?"

She doesn't answer him. Instead she addresses his AI. "JARVIS, does Tony still have the files Agent Coulson gave him about The Avengers?"

"The Avengers?" Tony scoffs. "That sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon or something."

"Not far off," Pepper says.

_He does, Ms. Potts. Shall I display those now?_

"Yes, thank you."

Tony jumps a little as the room lights up with blue holographic screens. He then immediately gets up to take a closer look because he can't _not_. It's absolutely amazing how advanced this technology is.

"You have a lot of homework," Pepper speaks again as she stands up. "I'd stay and answer questions, but I'm pretty sure JARVIS can handle that and I'm exhausted. Good night, Tony."

She then comes over and he knows immediately what she expects. It's a good thing he's never been shy about kissing people, although it's a little strange kissing a full grown woman as, well, a full grown man. Not to say that it isn't nice; it's sweet and endearing and nothing like the messy teenage kisses he'd had with his throwaway girlfriends when he was still 14. It doesn't feel right necessarily, but it doesn't feel inherently wrong. While he's still contemplating all of this, he realizes she's heading toward the elevator rather than for his bedroom. So they don't live together after all?

He shakes his head of his thoughts and studies the blue screens again. There are five files including his own, which he doesn't feel like reading right now, and one is Bruce's. He wants to read that one. He wants to know every single thing about his friend that he's missed, professionally at least. But he can't seem to bring himself to do it. So instead his eyes fall to the next one that catches his attention and his mouth falls open.

Captain America is alive?


End file.
